MICAH, Book of. The title of the boob, i, 1. describes it as °the word of Yahweh that came to Micah the Morashtite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.* In Jeremiah.xxvi, 18, is a quotation from the words of the elders: °Micah the Morashtite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah." The chronology of this period is some what uncertain. The probable dates, however, are Jotham, 740-736; Ahaz, 736-727; Hezekiah, 727-695. The title, like most similar titles, is doubtless a later editorial addition. Hence the evidence indicates most definitely the activity of Micah during the reign of Hezekiah. The most probable period is shortly before the cap ture of Samaria, i, 5-6, perhaps about 724 a.c., although this might refer to a later period, inas much as Samaria was not entirely destroyed at that time and, according to the Assyrian records, was active again not long after that event.
It is now quite generally agreed that Micah was not the author of the whole of the book. But there is much difference of opinion con cerning the details of authorship. The most chapters i-iii is a unity, with the exception principally of ii, 12-13, and was doubtless written by Micah. This is throughout a message of condemnation with a prediction of punish ment upon Judah, and to a minor degree upon Israel, for their sins. The remainder of the book contains some portions of a tenor similar to this, but consists for the most part of messages of blessing and restoration. There are two parts, chapters iv-v, and vi-vii. It seems reasonably certain that Micah was not the author of all of iv-vii, especially because of obvious inconsistencies, both within these chap ters and as compared with i-iii: v, 2-4, e.g., is out of harmony with v, 5-6; iv, 11-13 is incon sistent with iii, 12. The connection of thought in iv-vii is not close so that evidently either the original order has been changed, or it was originally a composite of miscellaneous portions. The following portions in iv-vii are similar, as messages of punishment, to i-iii, and were probably written by Micah: v, 1,10-13; vi, 9-16; vii, 1-6. Most of the remainder of iv-vii to
gether with ii, 12-13 contains messages of hope and restoration after disaster. It is a possi bility that most of this may have been written by Micah. But, if so, it must have been at a different period, presumably much later, as Isaiah probably gave some messages that were distinctly of hope at the latter end of his ministry. The strong probability remains, how ever, that these portions were not written by Micah but consist of various later fragments, mostly of the time of the exile and after the exile. The change of tone is less probable for Micah than for Isaiah, because Micah's original message had in it no real hope, while that of Isaiah did, at least from an early period in his ministry.
Micah is described as the Morashtite, mean ing probaby an inhabitant of Moresheth-gath, Micah i, 14. This place is not mentioned out side of this verse. It probably was a town named Moresheth, a dependency of the well known Philistine city Gath. He was thus of the country, and shows a corresponding type of message, differing markedly from that of his contemporary Isaiah who was a city-dweller, an inhabitant of Jerusalem. Micah's denuncia tion of the sins of the people and threats of punishment are similar to those of Amos. His most characteristic specific addition to the pro pheuc message is the prediction, first given by him, that Jerusalem shall be destroyed for the sins of the people, iii, 12. The later additions to Micah for the most part contain no specially notable message. vi, 6-8 give, however, a clear statement of the high prophetic ideal of life.
Bibliography.— Cheyne, T. K.. 'Book of Micah' ('Cambridge Bible,' 2d ed., Cambridge 1895); Smith, G. A., 'The Book of the Twelve Prophets' ((Expositor's Bible,' Vol. I, New York 1896) ; Smith, J. M. P., 'Micah' ((Inter national Critical Commentary,' New York 1911).
Gmaea 'RICKER BERRY, Professor of Old Testament Interpretation and Semitic Languages, Colgate University.